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Simon Cowell is encouraging fans of "The X Factor" to vote for their favorite contestants via the show's Twitter account and Facebook page. Organizers will begin to tally tweets sent to the "X Factor" account and ballots cast on Facebook next week. "It's a sign of the times. ... Sites like Twitter and Facebook give [the audience] a much bigger voice," Cowell says.

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NBC's "The Voice," which aired a special edition on Wednesday night, beat its singing competition rival "The X Factor" on Fox in the 8 p.m. hour among the key 18-49 demographic with a 3.3, compared with a 2.7 for the Fox show. However, "X Factor" claimed a 3.8 in the demographic at 9 p.m., without "Voice" as a competitor. The rival programs each finished with an average of 3.3, higher than all other shows on that night.

About a quarter of companies use Facebook to offer customer support, and 12% use Twitter, according to a MarketTools study. "Companies are ... missing an opportunity to incorporate this feedback into a voice of the customer program," MarketTools' Karin Adams says.

Ford has created 44 digital badges for use on social media sites. The badges, featuring messages such as "Athlete," "Tech Geek" and "Fusion Hybrid," are intended to be used as blog decorations or Facebook and Twitter profile pictures. "It's a further evolution to making social the core of everything we do. They allow our fans to identify their interests," social media chief Scott Monty said.

Fans of the talent show "X Factor" will have a new way to interact with fellow devotees online, thanks to sponsor Pepsi's launching of new social-viewing platforms, dubbed Pepsi Pulse and Pepsi Sound Off. The concept behind the service is to give social-TV watchers a visual component as they chat live online with fellow fans of the show.

Fox and NBC have agreed in principle to work with Pepsi to promote the Fox's reality competition "X Factor" during NBC's Super Bowl telecast, sources say. NBC is said to be planning to air a Super Bowl spot featuring "X Factor" winners, in exchange for the big game getting promotional mentions during the "X Factor" run. However, some details of the pact need to be finalized, according to this article.